histofthought1

French mercantilist thought in the seventeenth century 245of note. He was made a church canon without ever having been a priest.While serving as papal nuncio to France, he gained the favour of the greatRichelieu, who offered Mazarin a high official post if he should become anaturalized French citizen.It is not many men who emigrate, become a citizen of another land (asMazarin did in 1639), and then become prime minister of that country onlythree years later. Mazarin, however, achieved that feat, becoming cardinal(still without being a priest) in 1641, and succeeding Richelieu when thelatter died a year later. Mazarin was shrewd enough to court the favour of thequeen, so that when Louis XIII died the next year, and the queen becameregent, Mazarin could continue in his powerful post. Except for a year ortwo's hiatus, Mazarin continued as prime minister until his death in 1661.Mazarin had far less interest in economic affairs than his predecessor, andwas no theoretician, devoting himself largely to diplomacy and war. Hedidn't need much theoretical insight, however, to amass a fortune in highoffice that put even his predecessor to shame. By the end of his rule, he hadaccumulated an immense personal fortune of approximately 50 million livres.One noteworthy work written during Mazarin's term was by a Carmelitemonk, Jean Eon, whose religious name was Mathias de Saint-Jean (c. 1600­81). Eon was born in Saint-Malo, in Brittany, and became a friend andadviser of the governor of Brittany, a relative of Richelieu's, Marshal de laMeilleraye. Eon eventually became Carmelite provincial in Touraine, andrefused the opportunity to become attorney-general of that province.During Eon's life in Brittany, the Breton merchants became interested infounding a privileged commercial company, and in 1641 a group of merchants,consulting with de la Meilleraye, worked out plans for a large company,centred at Nantes, to be called the Societe de la Bourse Commune deNantes. The company was approved by the council of state in 1646, but itprovoked an anonymous pamphlet in opposition. Eon was hired by the city ofNantes, and encouraged by la Meilleraye to write a book in defence of thecompany. The result was the lengthy Honourable Commerce or PoliticalConsiderations (Le Commerce honorable ou considerations politiques)(Nantes, 1647). The book was dedicated to Eon's friend and patron laMeilleraye, whom he extolled as inheriting the mantle of economic leadershipof the nation from Richelieu.Eon's book was a compilation of standard mercantilist doctrines and neednot be examined in detail here. He almost rivalled Montchretien in his hatredfor foreigners, and in his wish to drastically curtail their activities in orselling to France. Two of his personal and original contributions were hispaean to the sea, shipping, and the seafaring life, and his eulogy to the city ofNantes, its glory and its unique suitability for locating a privileged company.